We’re reading through Blackest Night. The plan is to read 3 or 4 issues a week. Please avoid spoiling anything from issues beyond this week. If you missed last week, you can check it out here
The issues for this week are:
Feel free to use any, all, or none of the questions below as discussion starters.
So, I decided to read Green Lantern 39-42 since they were marked as “Prelude to Blackest Night” and I’m weird about jumping into a series where I’m not starting at #1. It was a good introduction of Larfleeze and setting up his corps. If you’ve got that Lantern Corps itch and the 3 issues this week aren’t enough, I would recommend it.
Not super familiar with Titans, but given the plethora of animated shows I managed to get through and understand what was going on. Decent job of setting the bleak mood of how everyone is dead.
Black Hand is super creepy. The “of my first kiss” line gave me chills. Great intro of the character for readers (like I was) that knew nothing of the character.
Blackest Night 0 was a really good setup. I remember when I first read it, I knew of characters like Batman, Flash, etc. but nothing more. While there are a lot of names listed, many of which I can actually recognize this time, I think this single comic sets up all the information a new reader to DC comics would need. I suppose that’s part of why Blackest Night being my first jump into comics was so successful.
I thought Tempest story was heart breaking. Losing both his wife and child in an attack and bringing them back to a place he doesnt feel wanted to is always hard.
I absolutely love what Geoff John’s did with Black Hand. Turning a nobody villain into a legitimate Super Villain.
When he killed his family I was legit horrified. That was the first time I was actually frightened of a comic book villain.
I have to re read number 0
Having had read these in the past, I read them a bit “out of order”…
I started with Titians #15, then B.N. #0,
THEN G.L #43
I believe that to have been a good move.
Starting With the Titans gives the needed back story of Garth’s(Tempest) struggles with accepting his responsibilities, Conquering his fear with an unbreakable Will of his own, wielding his mystical powers and subsequently taking the Throne of Atlantis. His talk with Grayson gives understanding to the affect of Batman’s death in relation to Arthur’s death, both taking up their predecessors mantles and the pain that need comes with. It’s humanizing to see that, even though “Super” they mourn in the way any human would, and struggle to make sense of their new place without the direction of the men that believed and trusted them, even when when they didn’t trust themselves.
By reading B.N. #0 next, Hal and Barry’s discussion shines a light(pun intended) on the Massive battle and deaths leading up to B.N. The discussion between them exposes how much Barry missed being in the Speed Force. The conversation taking place at Valhalla Cemetery where The Black Hand Is, having just been given the Black Lantern Ring, where we watch as he exhumes Bruce’s skull, from it’s unmarked grave, and ending in reciting the Black Lantern Oath act’s like a cliff hanger.
It then get’s explained in G.L. #43 as William Hand’s twisted and demented origin is told, while he now see’s all that are dead and all that have cheated death as the Black Lantern’s Planned Corp’s.
Any way it’s read these are SO MUCH FUN TO READ. With 30 odd years of comic stories in my head, slamming together like Marbles in an Empty Coffee Can, The First books of a story like this becomes a very EMOTIONAL Journey, reading with more seasoned eyes. What better story to crank up your personal emotional Spectrum then The Blackest Night!
I have been super good about not reading ahead, yet I have been reading the following Titan issues( #16,18,19…) And
The Finial Crisis Book’s. The core 7 issues at least… Which, even if you don’t have the time to read all of the Spin- Offs, I do recommend to anyone starting this story for the first time to read the those 7, at least to fully understand things like the pervious deaths of the characters that are mentioned when the William Hand Dawns the Ring.
SOOOOO GROSS, but he is a deranged character.
I suggest this as well, but what is interesting is a bit of knowledge that wasn’t published yet is needed to fully "get " what’s happening. I would suggest first reading the books as @GL-Batophobia has laid out them out for our read-along and if you don’t want to stop, read G.L. #'s 39,40, and 41 instead of reading ahead. These issues will satisfy the need for more B.N. reading and add extra insight for the future issues!
Blackest Night is what got me really back into DC comics again, after I read them as a kid. I’d tried reading Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis before and was just super confused. But Blackest Night really told you everything you needed to know within the story. It definitely rewards you the more you know the characters and the background, but it’s not necessary to enjoy it, and that’s one of the things I really liked about it.
I just bought brightest day!
At the end of Blackest Night 0 there is a letter from Geoff Johns talking about the “event” of Blackest Night. I loved how clearly passionate he is in that letter. He talks about how it was part of the plan from the start of him taking over GL. And he acknowledges that comic events usually leave fans and retailers wanting, and not in a good way. Let’s face it, comic events rarely satisfy. But I think BN is the most cohesive and satisfying comic event/crossover I have ever read. Geoff mention he would be there to oversee it all with his editors and it honestly shows. I can only think of a few issues that feel out of sync with the rest of the series and tie-ins. Geoff had a clear vision and was able to get several other writers, artists, and editors on board to execute to a near flawless finish.
On another note, I have never read these all (main series, GL books, and various tie-ins) in chronological order, so reading in this order definitely sets the tone early. The Titans issues isn’t my favorite, but it has to do a lot of heavy lifting for more than just it’s own series, so I forgive it. JT Krul (who is a super nice guy) does a lot in the 20 or so pages he is given. He has to move Garth, Atlantis, Arthur, and Mera into position for the main event and that is not easy given the deluge of crap that happened to Atlantis and it’s citizens over the years leading up to this.
Titans #15
I have to admit, when I first saw the name “J.T. Krul” on the cover, I was extremely hesitant. Whenever people talk about how excessively and ridiculously over the top and “grimdark” DC could be during this period, I think they’re basically thinking of Krul. After all, this is the same writer who would have Arsenal relapse into his heroin addiction and beat muggers half to death with a dead cat. Later on in this run, he’ll kill off Ryan Choi/The Atom off-panel and show his miniaturized corpse in a matchbox. Just, all shock value, no sense whatsoever.
But this issue wasn’t so bad. I mean, it didn’t wow me, but it did what needed to be done in establishing what was going on in Atlantis and the Aquafamily just before this event. It could have been a lot more exploitive than it was, so I’m glad for that.
I have read this story numerous times. I thoroughly enjoy it still. I don’t know if i like GL #43 or BN #0 better. I like the backstory of Black Hand and how it shows how unhinged he really is. But I also like #0 because it gives allot of info on what has happened before,to get new readers all caught up. The shot of Black Hand cuddling with the bones was just too creepy! I love what he became for this story. He doesn’t have a political agenda and isn’t driven by monetary gain. He’s just evil and maniacal. This version is one of my favorite villains in comics. Can’t wait to re-read this whole story!
I tend to think the major arcs tend to miss the mark since they usually involve some sort of “someone is going to die” foreshadowing. That usually ends with being technically true, and then the person comes back or is replaced and life goes on with little change. Blackest Night doesn’t really have that problem since everyone starts off being dead.
Plus there’s the introduction of all the lantern corps and the excitement to learn more about them. So when it ends, the readers are in a universe with more possibilities than when it started, unlike the idea of a story ending and there being something that’s now missing.
My fav was Blackest Night #0. In the past, I have read it #0-#8 and read all the tie-ins with #0-#8. All the tie-ins are amazing in this event. It really expands the Lantern and DCU. We’re just getting starting now people yah!
I have honestly never thought of it like that. Good insight. That was a serious paradigm shift for me.
Ok, whew, finally done… with week 2 
. I really need to work harder on catching up…
It’s a hard choice between 43 and 0.
On one hand, 43 is one of the first DC comics (at least non Batman dc comic) I ever read, I remember reading it for the first time. It’s insane to see black hands origin, it’s creepy and cold, you can feel the touch of death if that makes sense lol. You can see him grow with his obsession as he grows closer to it. He grows closer to death, with abilities and such. My favorite part of the issue is probably where he’s talking about how he can now see the people who die, and those who have died before.
Now I for sure thought that was going to win for my favorite, then I read 0 and realized it had some of my favorite parts…
Trying to think where to start talking about this issue…
Ok, I’ll start here
We start with Hal at Bruce’s grave and you can feel the regret from him… The flashbacks add to this greatly, showing the differences between the two.
Then comes in Barry, always moving fast. I love this scene of Barry and Hal talking , leading to Barry showing that he didn’t know dick wasn’t robin anymore.
I don’t believe so 
I already said some of my thoughts above while talking about 43, but he’s a dark character. He’s truly intriguing.
Ok, well those were my thoughts (hope they may not make sense, it’s late )
I’m enjoying the prompt to re-read one of my favorites, thank you @PR0FESS0RZ00M for letting me know this was happening!
And the titans issue… I forgot that was one of the ones we read 
. I love that one as a titans fan, and the whole story was absolutely heartbreaking.
Barry and Hal have a really relatable friendship as super bros in arms. I Love their connection as they are fighting for my top spot on the Most Collected in Issue Form list…Not including Hellblazer/Sandman and well…Doctor Strange and The Punisher, oh and a Long lasting and continued obsession with the Symbiotes, Venom and Carnage…
His love for the dead… creepy. Extremely dark childhood.
The one question I hope to find is how Atrocitus knew of the darkness inside of him?
I’d definitely go with GL#43. I think it did a really good job in establishing the sort of main villain of the event.
Like I said (way, way) earlier, the Titans issue was surprising in terms of not being anywhere near as bad as I assumed when I first saw the writer attached.
Great, creepy villain. Geoff Johns excels at revitalizing these sort of C/D-list villains and making them interesting and terrifying.
